Christian Engineering Education Conference
CEEC-2004

Salt Lake City, Utah
June 23-25, 2004

Bias in Technology: From Creation or Fall?

Steven H. VanderLeest
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

Technology is not ethically neutral. It is biased towards certain uses, persuades
the user towards particular actions, and has built-in values in its structure.
This bias has been recognized by a number of philosophers and historians of
technology, though called by many names, such as “valence” or “value-laden”.
Christians can find an underlying foundation for this bias in the story of creation
and the fall. Rather than a complete acceptance of technology as is, or complete
opposition, this paper presents an argument for a middle ground – a wary
acceptance of technology as part of God’s good creation but corrupted
by the pervasive influence of the fall. But all bias is not necessarily due
to sin. Some trade-offs are simply part of the created order. This discussion
leads to a critical evaluation of technological products, seeing bias as a multifaceted
effect with sociological, cultural, scientific, economic, and theological strands.
After establishing a case for the non-neutrality of technology, the practical
implications for engineering design methodology and engineering education are
explored.